Artist’s Dog Execution Past Complicates NYPL Commission

Every time Brooklyn artist Tom Otterness installs another public sculpture, someone brings up that he once adopted a pound dog just to shoot and kill it for a film. His next piece for the New York Public Library in Battery Park was commissioned for $750,000 by an anonymous donor. Cue cyclical uproar.
It was the ’70s, he was 25, he’s really sowy, yet, those bronze, capitalism-lampooning cuties at the 14th St A/C/E stop won’t be so cute… for the next few days, ’till some other shit happens.

At 25, he was an adult when he did the dog piece, and allegedly showed it twice, one of those times was in the 1980's. He hasn't done anything to indicate his apology is sincere. The guy is a remorseless hack living off public commissions. What a filthy parasite.

Please sign this petition. The Downtown arts council is either completely clueless, braindead or living in the same timewarp that this freak is. Animals matter and their rights are being taken seriously. At a time when people are asking for stiffer laws against animal cruelty, this POS should not be rewarded.

What public good? Lining his own pockets with coy, over-sentimentalized renderings of animals? He can really make an apology by turning his commission over to help the homeless animals of New York City. His act was that of a sociopath, thirty years ago or not, and that you defend him says plenty about you.